a day in the life of a wedding planner
The experts from The Sculpture Gallery at The Woburn Estate give us a look at the tales behind the veils. Most experienced wedding planners can reel off a lengthy list of crazy stories they have experienced. Managing intoxicated guests, anxious brides, groomzillas, weather misfortunesand the unpredictable, mean that these individuals become the ultimate problem solvers,always exuding patience and professionalism in the face of adversity.
The art of being a wedding coordinator is to ensure these hiccups go unnoticed by guests and couples, as well as to remove as much stress from the day for your clients as possible. Ian Turland, operations manager and Emma Little, events co-ordinator are experts in their field, with 36 years of wedding planning experience between them, this week they share some of their more memorable moments.
The Sculpture Gallery is part of the prestigious Woburn Estate, and is popular for winter weddings, on
Ian-Turland,-operations-manager
one such occasion whilst the ceremony was taking place at a nearby church there was a heavy downfall of snow, offering what appeared to be the idyllic white wedding. As the snow became heavier there was a realisation that the vintage wedding cars were stuck and could not travel to The Sculpture Gallery for the reception. With the snow getting deeper, a concerned bride and groom looked on as the potential for disaster loomed. Within minutes the experienced team coordinated a convoy of 4x4s from the Woburn Estate to collect the bridal party and guests so they could continue to enjoy their day, disaster averted!
On another memorable occasion a slightly nervous groom arrived at The Sculpture Gallery ready to enjoy his wedding day. Unfortunately, after getting ready and putting his suit on, he realised he had left his shoes at home, with only a pair of trainers in tow. Panicking, he explained his situation to the team at The Sculpture Gallery, who rallied together and in 20 minutes they provided him with a perfect replacement pair, ensuring his waiting bride did not know anything about the forgotten footwear until after the ceremony.
One of the most challenging moments in Ian’s career involved the all-important wedding cake. At The Sculpture Gallery cakes are often placed in front of a grand statue of Apollo, which has closing doors. On this day the cake maker had delivered a very grand cake and shut the doors behind them. Upon opening the doors and checking the room, Ian realised something was not quite right, at that very moment the top four tiers of the cake fell towards Ian! With the help of the on-site chefs most of the cake was salvaged, and the bride and groom were none the wiser until they were told the day after their wedding!
Emma,-Events-Co-Ordinator
Emma, events co-ordinator at The Sculpture Gallery, says, “As a wedding planner you always have to be prepared for last-minute dramas and setbacks. It is lovely when couples share their wedding vision with you, sometimes when you first hear these visions it appears impossible but we always create something very special. I like it when the guests think everything happens by magic, a key part of our role is to play the invisible problem solvers, which is sometimes, just as important as the in-depth pre-wedding planning process.”
“Trust between wedding planner and couple is fundamental to the success of a wedding and is something we strive to establish from the moment we meet the bride and groom.”
Ian Turland, operations manager, at The Sculpture Gallery, comments, “I know we have a great team here at The Sculpture Gallery and it’s a privilege to be allowed into a couple’s lives at such a magical time. When a bride and groom choose to spend their special day with us we all go the extra mile to make sure they can relax and enjoy celebrating. If a supplier’s having a meltdown, then we’ll jump in and if it’s raining then we’ll get soaked just to make sure the bride stays dry.”
To find out more about The Sculpture Gallery, please visit: https://www.woburnweddings.co.uk/
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